MX Vs. ATV Untamed Multiplayer Hands-on

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Go online and get muddy.

By Ryan Clements

We had the opportunity to take Rainbow Studios' upcoming title, MX Vs. ATV Untamed, out for a pretty wild spin. Hopping into the online mode, we met up with a bunch of other folks and took to the dirt - shredding through mud, bounding off rocks and skimming across asphalt in some intense multiplayer matches. Although we couldn't see everything the game has to offer, we dabbled in several different modes and managed to avoid being completely dominated most of the time. Let's take a moment and break it down so you know what to expect next month.

MX Vs. ATV Untamed is a gritty, arcade-style racer that puts you in control of a variety of different off-road vehicles, ranging from the expected MX bikes and buggies to monster trucks. When we got into our first match, we were immediately pleased with the way the lobby system is handled in Untamed. Before a race actually begins, and as players are loading the map and getting ready, you're dropped into a massive practice hanger filled with a broad array of ramps, hills and terrain. As players enter the lobby, you can practice jumps and tricks, test how your vehicle handles over rocks and dirt, and generally just fool around until the match begins. The load time for getting into this hanger was quite impressive, and this playable dynamic really helped maintain the pace of the matches, keeping you from feeling overly anxious or bored.

When the races started, we noted that there was very little lag and glitching to speak of, which was nice. Although there was an occasional hitch that may have caused our rivals to jump or stutter, it was usually mild (and may very well vanish in the final build). The interface between and during our matches was sleek and stylish, with bright, ultra-sharp menus and control options that made the game feel especially tight. With that said, let's talk a little bit about the modes we played.

A lot of the racing you'll be able to do is pretty standard stuff. You can tackle a number of different indoor and outdoor tracks of several terrain types and participate in very straightforward races such as Waypoint, where you need to pass a series of gates in a wide open environment (how you get to each gate is technically up to you). One of the most brutal, "standard" races we participated in was the Endurocross, which placed a large group of MX bikes on an indoor course filled with an insane amount of rocks, logs, water and hills. Just getting through one lap proved very challenging, so racing against a ton of other players can get wicked indeed.

As we've mentioned before, there aren't just "normal" races to enjoy; Untamed features several mini-game style gameplay modes that, as unrealistic and uncharacteristic as they may be, were a lot of fun to play. The first was called Graffiti, a freestyle, trick-based mode that placed a ton of ramps in an open-area dune environment. Each ramp was marked by poles of light, and if you could successfully perform tricks off a ramp, the corresponding poles would be marked with your color. You win by going around and capturing these different points to see who can snag the highest score.

King of the world.

Another interesting gametype, called Snake, placed a neon trail behind all our bikes. The goal was to weave your trail around the level and use it to capture and eliminate other players. Although we only had the chance to play this mode in one particular area, it was a lot of fun and mixed up the racing segments well. We imagine that Snake has the potential for addicting gameplay, if it holds up over the long run.

For the most part, MX Vs. ATV Untamed plays very smoothly, the controls are tight, and the modes are plentiful (and diverse). Although nothing really makes the racing segments stand out in comparison to other off-road racers, Untamed could turn out to be a really fun game. Make sure to check back on Monday for our exclusive look at the Wii, PS2, DS and PSP versions of the game, as well as an Insider Video studio tour on Thursday.